Thursday, June 7, 2007

First Post


Hey everyone!  Welcome to the art blog of Michael K. Ryan.  Here I'll be posting regularly my artwork / what I'm currently up to.  

About the Blog:
The phrase, "Drawing from Life", is commonly spoken in artistic circles.  It refers to the practice of observing one's subject matter in the natural world, and then applying such observations to one's work and techniques.  By understanding life more fully, one can then more accurately depict what they are trying to convey to their audience.  This doesn't mean one shouldn't draw from imagination; rather, it means to constantly study the surrounding world and apply those observations when one does draw using their imagination. . .I believe the two can work in harmony.

The phrase "Drawing from Life" also has religious and philosophical connotations for me personally.  Not only do I literally draw from live subjects at times.  I also draw - rather, seek - my inspiration from the source of all life, God.  He was the first animator, and He is my constant teacher, master, and friend.  I draw too on the experiences of life, from the lives of others, and what can I can learn from them.  As a subheading, I chose the following quote by Mother Teresa: "Let us do something beautiful for God".  I use this phrase because it is my hope that my life's work will be a loving gift for God.


(NOTE: This post has been edited and updated since its first publication date).

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